Toy telephone



Dec. 29, 1936. H, BREGMAN 2,066,065

TOY TELEPHONE Filed April 29, 1956 BY HARRY BREGMAN m Jwm/ M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 29, 1936 FATE FFQE

TOY TELEPHONE Harry Bregman, Lorain, Ohio, assigner to The Steel Stamping Company, Lorain, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 29,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to toy telephones, and more particularly to a toy telephone of the type having a calling device such as a rotatable diaL 'I'he present invention is an improvement over the invention disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 21,720, led May 16, 1935.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved toy telephone having a calling device and novel signaling means arranged to be actuated by the calling device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy telephone having a pivoted signal actuating member, and a plurality of sound producing devices, all oi which are sounded by movement of the actuating member in one direction.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved toy telephone having sound producing devices including a bell device and a pneumatic device and also having a pivoted operating member movable manually in one direction and adapted to be returned by a spring, and wherein operating connections for the sound producing devices cause sounding thereof in sequence during the return movement of the operating member.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a toy telephone embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional plan View taken as indicated by the irregular section line rfi-I of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the dial and bell ringing mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the dial and bell ringing mechanism in section.

Fig. 7 is a partial transverse sectional view of the bell device taken on line 'I-l of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 8 is another partial transverse sectional view taken through the bell device on line 8 8 of Fig. 6.

More detailed reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing for the purpose of describing the improved toy telephone which embodies my invention. However, before proceeding with such detailed description, it should be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined to the particular construction illustrated, but may be embodied in various other toys and devices.

1936, Serial No. 77,006

(Cl. Li6--33) My invention may be embodied in a toy telephone of the cradle type, that is to say of the type having a standard or base and a combine-d transmitter and receiver removably supported thereon, and in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing I show a telephone of this type. The base I6 of this telephone may comprise a sheet metal shell which has been stamped or otherwise formed to the desired shape, and a cradle l2 thereon which provides a support for the combined transmitting and receiving hand set i3. The base may also include a bottom cover plate ill which may, if desired, be provided with a covering or sheath I5 of ielt or other suitable material.

The hand set E3 may be of any suitable construction, such as sheet metal, and may comprise a handle part having receiver and transmitting parts i8 and i9 secured to opposite ends thereof. The handle part is shaped for removable supporting engagement in the cradle I2. A cord 20, simulating an electric conductor cord, may be arranged to connect the hand set I3 With the base Ill.

'Ihe cradle l2 and the bottom cover I4 may be conveniently secured to the base by means of a clamping rod or bolt 22 which extends downwardly through the cradle and the base and has a nut 23 disposed in a recess of the bottom cover I4. The cradle may be spaced above the base by means of a spacer 26, of wood or other suitable material, through which the clamping rod 22 extends.

As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the shell of the base may be provided in the front wall thereof with a recess 25 in which a pivoted actuating member, preferably in the form of a rotatable dial 26, is arranged. The rotatable dial forms a part of a calling device which also includes a plate 2l having an annular series of numerals or characters such as the names of cities or stations. As is usual in devices of this kind, the rotatable dial 26 has an annular series of openings 28 through which the characters are visible. The openings of the dial are shaped to receive a childs finger for causing rotation of the dial.

I provide my improved telephone with a plurality of sound producing signaling devices 36 and 3| which, as will be presently explained, are arranged to be actuated in response to rotation of the dial 26. The signaling device 30 comprises a bell 32 and mechanism for ringing the same and, for convenience, may be referred to as the bell device. The signaling `device 3I may be a voice simulating device such as a pneumatic device capable of producing a cry or squawk and, for

convenience, may be referred to as the pneu-l Vmatic device.

The dial 23 is mounted upon'a rotatable shaft Y 33 and is drivingly connected thereto by means of the nut 3d cooperating with the shoulder 35. The shaft 33 extends into the hollow shell and, at its inner end, carries the bell 32 and'a winding' member 31. The bell and the winding member Vmay be secured to the shaft by nuts 38 and 39 so that these members will be rotated with the shaft.

A coil spring Mi may be disposed around the shaft 33 with one end thereof anchored to the platev 2.1 as indicated at iii, andV its other end extending into an anchor slot or opening 42 `of the shaft. A star wheel 43 'and a ratchet wheel lill' are connected with each other and are both rotat- The star wheel cooperates with an escapement-like pawl 45 which is mounted on 'a pivot 35a and'has an arm 45h ably mounted on the shaft 33.

detent 41 in the `sarn'e direction,'but sinceY the' Vspringjflngers i3 of the latter travel over'the teeth of the ratchet'vvheel im', the star wheel will not be rotated. The clockwise rotation of the shaft 33 tensions the spring 48 and, when the Y dial ,is released after the clockwise rotation, the

spring rotates the shaft and dial in a counterclockwise direction Vand returns the latter to its starting position. During this return movement of the dal under the influence of the spring 45, the spring lingers 58 of the plate detent 41 abut against teeth of the ratchet wheel 44 and cause this wheel, and the star wheel 43 which is connected therewith, to be driven in a counterclockwise direction. This rotation of the star wheel Yrocks thepawl 45 and thereby causes the clapper 43 to strike the bell '32.

The pneumatic signaling device 3l may be a .Y device of the type having a'bellows 55 and a reed or other sound producing element (not shown) past which air is caused to flow by operation of the bellows. This device may also have a weighted part I Vwhich is lifted to expand the Ybellows and which descends by gravity to collapse Y the bellows and force air past the sound producingelement. Y Y

I transmit motion from the dial shaft 33 to the pneumatic device 3l to cause the bellows to be extended and collapsed in response to rotation of the dial. For this purpose I provide an operating connection between the dial shaft and the weighted part 5I, preferably in the form of a cord or strand 53, which is connected with the weighted part and with'the winding member 31.

The strand may be led through one or more guide arms 54 which are suitably arranged to direct the movements of the strand.

With the arrangement just explained it will be seen that when the dial is rotated in the clockwisedirection which, as explained above, tensions the spring 4E and causes the spring lingers 48Yto travel over the ratchet wheel without causing ringing of the bell 3 2, the strand 53 is wound, in the space 55 between the member 31 and the bell 32. The winding of the strand tensions the sameY and causes the weighted part 5I to be lifted to extend or partially extend the bellows 5D. When the dial is released and rotated in the ycounterclockwise direction under the influence of the spring 40, the strand 53 is allowed to unwind and `device 3 l, I prefer to useanY elastic strand. V*When an elastic Ystrand is used for this purpose it 'will be seen that the strand need'not be of an accu'- .rately determined lengthv and the tensioning `of the strand to lift the weighted part 5I may be caused in part by a winding up of the strand and in part by a `stretching thereof. VByV fuse of such an elastic strand, operation of the signaling device 3| may be had as the result'of Veither partial or complete rotary movements of the dial 26. Y Y

The arrangement which I have disclosed herein provides for an improved and more satisfactory operation, in that the signal devices emit sounds only duringthe return or counterclockwise movement of the'rdial. This is desirable in a toy telerphone and increases its amusement value because each time the child actuates the dialV he isVre-l warded by the sounding of the signal devices during the automatic return of the dial.Y A furtherV soV advantage obtained in the operation of my im?? proved toy telephone is that the operating con nections are such as Yto cause the signal devices to operate in sequence dur-ing the return'movem'ent of the dial. In this sequential operation the'bell device starts to ring first and after an interval of Atime the pneumatic device starts sounding. The bell device may continue to ring during the entire return movement of the dial while the pneumatic device may produce sounds only during the latter portion of such return movement.

The starting of the soundingrof Vthe pneumatic device after the start of the ringing of the bell device is, due, in part at leastto the use of the elastic strand 53'becausethe extending ofthe bellows 50 during the manual rotation of thedial is accompanied by some stretching of thestrand. When the dial is released and begins its return movement the bell deviceV starts ringing but the bellows'50 Vdoes not begin to collapse untilA the strand has contracted and begins to slacken.'v

To facilitate Iassembly of the parts of 'the toy telephone Ima'y provide a suitably shaped bracket c 56 for supporting and positioning the signaling device 3l. This bracket may be secured to the rear wall of the base I0, as bymeans of rivets 51, and'may have an arm 58 extending'laterally above theV bottom cover plate I4 for supporting the device 3l. The arm 58 may have spring fingers 59 which grippingly engage the device 3l to retain the same in position. 'If desired, the bracket 56 may be extended upwardly sothat the guide armsr54 may be carried thereby. YThe connection between the strand 53 and the weighted part 5| of the signaling device Y3l is preferably located eccentrically with respectrto the center 60 of the signalingY device, as shown in Fig. 4, so that after the signaling devices and 3l have been assembled into the base of the telephon'in the relative positions shown in Fig. 3 and kwith the ends of the cord 53 connected thereto, it is lasY only necessary to rotate the device 3l Within the spring fingers 59 to take up any slack which may exist in the strand 53 when the dial is in its starting position. After the slack has been taken up the fingers 59 can be further deiiected into rm holding engagement with the device 3|.

The shell of the base l may be provided with a plurality of appropriate openings 6| for the passage of sound waves emanating from the signaling devices 30 and' 3|.

From the accompanying drawing and the foregoing description, it will now be readily understood that I have provided an improved toy telephone embodying a plurality of signaling devices which are operated to produce sounds only during the return movement of the dial. It will also be seen that I have providedI novel means for causing operation of the signaling devices such that they start sounding in sequence during the return movement of the dial.

While I have illustrated and described the improved toy telephone of my invention in a some- What detailed manner, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited to the precise arrangements and details of construction illustrated' and described, but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as do not constitute a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a toy telephone the combination of a base having a bell device and a pneumatic device thereon, a rotary actuating member movable manually in one direction, a spring adapted to move the actuating member in the opposite direction, means operably connecting the pneumatic device With said actuating member, and a ratchet mechanism operably connecting said actuating member and said bell device, said ratchet mechanism having elements cooperating to cause sounding of the bell device only during movement of the actuating member in said opposite direction.

2. In a toy telephone the combination of a base having thereon a pair of sound producing devices one of Which is a pneumatic device, a rotatable operating member manually movable in one direction, a spring adapted to cause return movement of said operating member, means operably connecting said' operating member and said pneumatic device to cause sounding of the latter during said return movement, and a ratchet mechanism between said operating member and the other signal device for causing sounding of the latter only during said return movement.

3. In a toy telephone, a base having thereon a bell device and a pneumatic device, a manually operable spring-returned dial, and a ratchet mechanism and an elastic cord providing respectively an operating connection between the dial and said bell device and between the dial and said pneumatic device, said ratchet mechanism and elastic cord cooperating to cause sequential starting of sound emission by said devices during the return movement of the dial.

4. In a toy telephone, a base having thereon a bell device and a pneumatic device, a pivoted actuating member manually movable in one direction and adapted to be automaticlly returned, means operably connecting said actuating member and said pneumatic device including an elastic strand adapted to be tensioned and stretched during manual movement of said actuating member and to be contracted and slackened during return movement of the actuating member, and a ratchet mechanism rendering the bell device inoperative during said manual movement of the actuating member but adapted to cause sounding of the bell device during said return movement.

HARRY BREGMAN. 

